oF All thE proBlEms FACing moDErn AstronomErs, pErhAps thE most FAsCinAting onE is "CAn intElligEnt liFE Exist ElsEwhErE " sinCE thE EArth is A unimportAnt plAnEt moving rounD An unimportAnt stAr, it woulD BE A priDE on our pArt to supposE thAt wE ArE thE only intElligEnt BEings in thE univErsE.But to oBtAin prooF is DiFFiCult.
thE mAin trouBlE is thAt our nEighBor worlDs, thE BoDiEs in thE solAr systEm AppEAr to BE unsuitABlE For ADvAnCED liFE Forms. thE moon mAy BE rulED out At onCE; it hAs hArDly Any AtmosphErE. vEnus is littlE BEttEr; thE surFACE tEmpErAturE is ExtrEmEly high AnD thE AtmosphErE is mostly CArBon DioxiDE. mArs with A vEry thin AtmosphErE AnD A sEvErE shortAgE oF wAtEr, mAy wEll support simplE thAt liFE sEEms no hopE oF FinDing AnimAls, whilE thE AltErnAtivE mArtiAns oF thE story-tEllErs hAvE sinCE BEEn givEn up.
oF CoursE this hAs not stoppED thE Flow oF Bright iDEAs oF CommuniCAting with thE supposED pEoplE on mArs. in thE EArly ninEtEEnth CEntury thE grEAt mAthEmAtiCiAn gAuss suggEstED plAnting trEE-pAttErns in pAttErns, so thAt thE mArtiAns woulD sEE thEm AnD rEplAy suitABly. Following up this iDEA, thEAustriAn sCiEntist kArl littrow proposED, Digging vEry wiDE DitChEs in thE sAhArA, triAngulAr in pAttErns, AnD thEn Filling thEm with pEtrol or somE suBstAnCE so thAt, whEn lit, thE DitChEs woulD prEsEnt mArtiAn oBsErvErs with A "FlAming triAngulAr" whiCh woulD show thE ExistEnCE oF intElligEnt minDs.EvEn BEttEr wErE thE plAns oFChArlEsCross, A FrEnCh writEr oF thE 1870s ,who wAntED to BuilD A lArgE mirror to rEFlECt thE sun’s rAys AnD ConCEntrAtE, thEm on thE surFACE oF mArs, thErEBy mAking A vAst Burning-glAss.By swinging thE mirror rounD,Cross ExplAinED it woulD BE prACtiCABlE to writE worDs in thE mArtion DEsErts simply By Burning thE sAn
D、For mAny yEArs, hE BomBArDED thE FrEnCh govErnmEnt with litErAturE ABout his plAn AnD wAs vEry DisAppointED whEn no oFFiCiAl intErEst wAs shown.
ChArlEsCross FElt ______ .A．Angry whEn thE govErnmEnt pAiD littlE AttEntion to his iDEAs
B．plEAsED whEn thE govErnmEnt DiD tAkE notiCE oF his plAn
C．surprisED thAt thE oFFiCiAl wErE intErEstED in his suggEstion
D、DisAppointED At thE lACk oF intErEst shown in his plAn